February 28, 2009

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, is auctioning off a HUGE selection of his personal items which include: The original Entry-Gates to Neverland Ranch, his iconic White-Jeweled Glove, an Original Art Print of Superman by Alex Ross, a Signed-Photo of Christopher Reeve as Superman, Many Batman Statues, the Original "Edward Scissorhands" Movie Prop of his Hands, the Actual 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood driven by Morgan Freeman in the "Driving Miss Daisy" Movie, Arcade Machines, Paintings, & way more Pop Culture Artifacts I don't have room to mention, like 1000's of items! This monumental five-day auction will be conducted by Julien's Auctions, April 21st - 25th, 2009 at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California ( Next to the famous Beverly Hilton Hotel ). One time of interest to Batman Fans ( among many ) will be this life-size statue of Michael wearing an original Batman Movie Costume. Be sure to click on the above photo because you have to see Michael Jackson's face, it looks just like him, ha ha!

A good friend to the Bat-Blog, named Roger, who's a graphic artist with Ruby Red Designs, sent these pics of a brand-new parody BATMAN T-Shirt he just designed. It shows Batman with his eco-friendly "Batmobile", ha ha! Actually it's a TUK-TUK which is sort of a Taxi Car that is extremely popular in Thailand. I really love those wacky vehicles so to see a "Batman-version" is pretty hilarious! Oh yeah, the name of the T-Shirt is BAT-TUK-TUK. Here's a link if ya want to make a purchase:

Yesterday I received a nice e-mail from a very cool girl named Danica. She explained that she's still in High School & a total "Batman Fan". She said that she just started to collect Batmobile Cars & has about 20 so far. Her dog's name is Sadie ( I love that crazy dog! ). She sent these photos of a recent Batman Hoodie she got & also sent a picture of some of her Batman toys. This photo of the Batman Hero-Clix Figure with Corgi Batmobile Car was HUGE, ha ha! But, it's really a super-great image so I thought I would make a Batman Desktop Wallpaper out of it. The photo is kinda grainy & that gives it a "vintage look"...it makes a great background! Thank you Danica for sending the awesome pics, I appreciate that a lot. Keep collecting Batmobiles, have fun with Sadie, & keep wearing Batman T-Shirts. Why? Because Batman is COOL!

I have a friend named Ducki who lives in Florida. There's a local artist there named DOUG BLOODWORTH & while checking out his website she came across this one piece of artwork that she knew I would like. It's a Pop Art Painting with a scene showing a Batman Comic Book & all the fixings for a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich ( click on it for a larger picture with more detail ). It's done in a sort of photo-realistic style & is totally awesome! Doug is really talented. He sort of bounces around in styles, mainly Western Art & Pop. He also paints murals, billboard, & even commercial buses! Thank you Ducki for sending this & if any readers want to enjoy some more of Doug Bloodworth's art the here's a link to visit his site:

February 26, 2009

This Teaser-Commercial TV Clip, produced as a way of launching the ad campaign for a brand new Batman Food Product called the "5+ Power Meal" by Mlekara Subotica.I'm not even sure what country this is from so if any readers know then please tell me. I apologize for not being so savy with many different languages. At the end of the clip we see that The Dark Knight movie logo reads, "MRACNI VITEZ". It looks like they made both a yogurt snack & maybe flavored milk. The commercial is pretty cool & it's totally driving me crazy not knowing what this stuff is or where it's from, ha ha!

A friend to the Bat-Blog, named Neville, sent us this really wonderful photo from the Polaris Comic Book Convention in Toronto, Canada. The picture was taken last July & shows us how some Batman Fans get totally creative! Here we see the Joker with his girlfriend, Harley Quinn, & their dog, Lou. I think it's cool that they brought their dog, how funny! Anyway, the whole family looks really great & I seriously love the costumes. Thank you Neville for sending this to us, I appreciate that. If any other Bat-Blog Readers have any Batman-related pics to share then please e-mail them to us today!

Photos for the 2nd series wave of Hot Wheels Batmobile Vehicles are starting to appear. The 1966 Batboat & '66 Batmobile Car with Trailer Hitch are in stores now & the others should arrive soon after. The top photo is from a recent Hot Wheels Collector Convention where they showed off the 1989 Movie Batwing, 1989 Movie Batmobile, 1966 Bat-Cycle ( reissue ), Super Friends Batmobile, & the Bat-Boat with 1966 Car. The next picture shows the back of the packaging for the Bat-Boat & on that we get to see the Dark Knight Bat-Pod Motorcycle, very cool! These vehicles are really great & I can't wait to get them all!!

February 25, 2009

At the Skirball Cultural Center, in Los Angeles, they are having an exhibit called "Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950". It features a mind-blowing collection of superhero and comic book rarities, including the first sketch of the Joker, the Original 1966 Batman TV Show Bat-Cycle, the earliest known sketch of Superman, a RARE copy of Action Comics #1 ( 1st appearance of Superman ), Captain Marvel Toys, Wonder Woman Memorabilia, & much much more! The event runs from February 19th - August 9th, 2009. I wish it wasn't so far away from me or I would go, it sounds extremely cool! For more details be sure to check out this review at the LA Weekly website. Here's a link:

Every Wednesday we post 2 FREE Batman Themed Wallpapers you can use to brighten your desktop! This week I thought I would get into the whole spirit of "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday" & do a few that are literally super-wacky! The first one is commercial art that was used in a magazine ad in a foreign country, I think Argentina or maybe Brazil. It totally cracks me up! It has the Dynamic Duo riding a bicycle together. Plus, from an "art direction" point of view, it's pretty cool. The 2nd one is a photo from a recent Mardi Gras Parade. This float has none other than the Prince of Crime himself, The Joker! Whoever made this float is very creative. Well, I hope everybody like these. I know they're kinda crazy but you gotta smile & have fun every now & then, enjoy.

HOT TOYS has announced that the next 1:6 Scale Action Figure / Doll in The Dark Knight Batman movie series will be the JOKER POLICE OFFICER Version. Knowing this toy company the accuracy & details should be completely insane! I know many people really love these 1/6th scale figures & this should be a nice addition.For now the only information is this teaser image ( click on it for a larger version ). But be sure to stay tuned with the Bat-Blog because as soon as we know something it will be posted. As a way to celebrate both this new Joker GCPD figure & the recent Oscar win I designed this Heath Ledger "Gotham City Police Officer" Desktop Wallpaper...enjoy! Oh yeah, and for more information on where to buy this figure then click on the button down below!

Yesterday I was very surprised to get an e-mail all the way from Argentina! A Bat-Blog Reader named Pablo Canadé wrote me about some of his artwork. He's a very talented Graphic Artist & as you can tell he is totally inspired by both Batman & his Super-Villians. Each portrait has a picture of the Dark Knight in combat with a different foe: The Joker, Catwoman, & The Riddler. Thanks for sending these Pablo, they're really really GREAT! Keep up the good work. Readers, please be sure to check out his website sometime. There's more bat-goodies there to enjoy.

I have said many times that if the Bat-Blog is any good at all it's because of the readers. They always send me really great material! Here's the perfect example: The other day I came across this Joker Munny Figure on the internet. I tracked down the artist & told him, "You better send me some pics, ha ha!". Well, graciously, he did. This is Zac Conley's Custom JOKER Munny Figure. It's pretty cool. I love the demonic expression on his face, like he's ready to kill somebody, actually he's kinda scary! Zac also made some Custom Sneakers with a Batman & Joker motif. I thought it was sort-of funny how his photos break down the fact that "this is the right foot & this is the left"...but, that's clever. Anyway, these shoes are too good to wear & should be displayed as ART! Good job Zac & thanks for sending the pics. Now I don't have to come to your house to beat you up!

February 22, 2009

Heath Ledger, without a doubt, won the 2009 Best Supporting Actor Award. Heath's portrait of The Joker in The Dark Knight Batman movie was brilliant, chilling, & breath taking. He totally deserves this honor. Rest in Peace Heath.

YES!! Heath Ledger won an Academy Award tonight for best actor in a supporting role for his portrayal of the Joker in "The Dark Knight" Batman movie! Heath Ledger really deserved this Oscar & we want to send our thoughts to his family & daughter, Congratulations!

February 21, 2009

OK, I know it's about 2 months away but I'm really excited about a new book coming out by TwoMorrow's Publishing called THE BATCAVE COMPANION! The delays are over, and it’s finally in print! Michael Eury, the writer/editor of the critically acclaimed The Krypton Companion, and Michael Kronenberg, the designer of the eye-popping Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu: The Art of Paul Gulacy, team up to explore the Silver and Bronze Ages of Batman comic books in The Batcave Companion! Two distinct sections of this book examine the Dark Knight’s progression from his campy “New Look” of the mid-1960s to his “creature of the night” reinvention of the 1970s. Features include issue-by-issue indexes, interviews with CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE GIELLA, DENNIS O’NEIL, and NEAL ADAMS, and guest essays by MIKE W. BARR and WILL MURRAY. Contributors include SHELDON MOLDOFF, LEN WEIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, and TERRY AUSTIN, with a special tribute to the late MARSHALL ROGERS. With its incisive introduction by Dennis O’Neil and its iconic cover painting by Neal Adams, The Batcave Companion is a must-have for every Bat-Fanatic & comics fan! It's due to be released around April 15th, 2009. Here's a link for more information:

February 20, 2009

A good friend to the Bat-Blog, named Mark Racop, is in the business of making 1966 Batmobile Replica Cars. I gotta tell you that these cars are pretty amazing! I mean, the attention to every single tiny detail is totally insane! Well, recently, he posted a few hi-res desktop wallpapers of the cars he makes. I thought I would share a few here ( there are many more at his website ) & also give a shout out to his website. It's called FIBERGLASS FREAKS & if you're a fan of the 1966 Batman TV Show ( Adam West & Burt Ward ) then you gotta check it out!

Last night I was goofing around on the internet when suddenly I discovered an extremely funny and very well drawn illustration of DC & Marvel Superheroes ( Click on the image up above for a larger, more detailed, version ). Actually it's a painting that was recently shown in the "Hot Rods & Hairy Beasts" art exhibit at the Coningsby Gallery, in London. The artist's name is Allen Sanders & he's from Brighton, UK. I thought I would post it here because it does have Batman, Robin, & the Batmobile! I had to find out more about this guy. So, I discovered that he has a website / blog called LOOPLAND. Be sure to visit sometime because his work is pretty cool. Here's a link:

February 19, 2009

A friend sent this link & it's pretty funny. I also think it's a cool craft project for a little kid's Batman-themed birthday party. This instructional video tells you how to make a JOKER ACTION FIGURE with balloons. Ya know, like "Balloon Animals". The end effect is pretty cool looking! Oh yeah, I guess I should say that it's the "Mark Hamill version" from Batman: The Animated Series & NOT the Heath Ledger Dark Knight movie character.

I need to send a shout out to my good friend Eric Seltzer & congratulate him on the 10th Year Anniversary of his ORIGINAL 1966 BATMOBILE MESSAGE BOARD! I've been a member there for quite awhile & though I do not get to participate as much as I like it's really a great site that is totally dedicated to the original 1966 Batmobile Car designed by George Barris. I mean, the information there is totally insane! You can tell that Eric is a true Fan & really loves this piece of bat-history. You can also tell, from the attention to detail, that it's a labor of love. That's awesome! So, Eric...here's looking forward to the next 10 years, keep up the good work, & thank you. I guess I should say that I stole this photo of Eric from his website. It shows him in the original, totally authentic, NUMBER ONE Batmobile...the real deal!